I'm ok, you're ok 3 Nephi 27: 9-15

9 Verily I say unto you, that ye are built upon my gospel; therefore ye shall call whatsoever things ye do call, in my name; therefore if ye call upon the Father, for the church, if it be in my name the Father will hear you;
10 And if it so be that the church is built upon my gospel then will the Father show forth his own works in it.
11 But if it be not built upon my gospel, and is built upon the works of men, or upon the works of the devil, verily I say unto you they have joy in their works for a season, and by and by the end cometh, and they are hewn down and cast into the fire, from whence there is no return.
12 For their works do follow them, for it is because of their works that they are hewn down; therefore remember the things that I have told you.
13 Behold I have given unto you my gospel, and this is the gospel which I have given unto you—that I came into the world to do the will of my Father, because my Father sent me.
14 And my Father sent me that I might be lifted up upon the cross; and after that I had been lifted up upon the cross, that I might draw all men unto me, that as I have been lifted up by men even so should men be lifted up by the Father, to stand before me, to be judged of their works, whether they be good or whether they be evil—
15 And for this cause have I been lifted up; therefore, according to the power of the Father I will draw all men unto me, that they may be judged according to their works.

(Book of Mormon | 3 Nephi 27:9 - 15)

The Lord’s church is built upon His gospel . As members of His church, we need to act in His name. That’s a great responsibility. Obviously, we are not the only church claiming divine guidance. How I act, what I say and do, should reflect my beliefs in my Savior.

Religion has a tendency to breed intolerance in many, i.e. you need to believe exactly as I do, or your going to burn in hell forever. Many churches seem to spend as much time spewing hatred against those that differ from them, as they do in building up their followers. One of my favorite phrases, which I think actually has Buddhist roots is, “A candle loses nothing by lighting another candle.” I take that phrase to mean that I don’t need to make you look bad in order to make me look good. I’m not trying to say that I’m better than anyone, and I don’t need to have others praising me for what a good person I am. Trust me, I’m around myself all day. I know how far I need to progress to become the person I want to be.

If my actions/works are in line with Heavenly Father’s will, then I will find peace and joy in my life. Conversely, if they aren’t, I might think that I’ve found happiness for a short while, but ultimately, there is no happiness there.

Sweet Dreams

Most of my postings on this blog are religiously oriented. However, I love to write and probably don't share enough of my writing with others. Here is a short story I wrote a while ago called Sweet Dreams. Please feel free to post comments telling me you liked it, hated it, how it could be better, etc. Enjoy.

“Doc, you just don’t realize how much pressure the average accountant is under. The never-ending deadlines make me crazy. You know we really have very little to do with a company’s revenues, however, when it comes to financial reports we’re expected to do magic. My boss always tells me that he expects me to make two plus two equal whatever he needs it to be. Keeping the shareholders happy is always stressed. When our stock price takes a dip, you just know that if it doesn’t turn around soon that layoffs can’t be far behind. Accountants are often considered nothing more than a necessary evil at any company. Most executives wish they could survive without us, but they know they can’t. The bankers and investors want us around, which is the only reason most of us have a job. I come home mentally exhausted everyday.”

Dr. Sayer remained impassive with his patented stoic gaze, lounging in his burgundy leather chair as he replied, “And you think this is what’s creating the dreams Colby?”

Glaring up at his psychiatrist’s white ceiling panels from the comfort of the tan leather couch he laid on, Colby replied, “How else would you explain it, Doc? I mean, it’s the same dream night after night. Very little change. Do you think that I’m crazy?”

Chuckling, which was unusual for Doctor Sayer, he looked down his wire rimmed glasses at his middle aged, haggard looking patient and stated, “I think that it means you have a healthy imagination Colby. Dreams are a part of life. Some are very vivid and we remember them for a long time. Most people will dream all night long and wake up without remembering a thing about them. Just because you remember your dreams doesn’t mean you’re suffering from some neuroses. Tell me more about your dreams. Do they frighten you? Are they violent? Are you at your job naked? What is it about your dreams that concern you?”

Sighing as he looked out the window on the Phoenix skyline, he noticed a heat shimmer creating a subtle wavy appearance that struck him as rather dream-like in nature. Colby turned back to his psychiatrist and responded, “Haven’t you been listening? It’s the same dream every time. Clearly my subconscious is trying to tell me something. Violent? No, I don’t remember anything violent in them. They’re about as far from being frightening as you can imagine. Naked? Now that you mention it, I’m not really sure. I don’t think so, but I don’t recall anyone wearing a lot of clothing. Not myself, not anyone. Does that mean something Doc?”

“Do you think that it means something Colby? How does it make you feel when no one is wearing much clothing? Please Colby. Just humor me and tell me your dream one more time.”

Running his hands through his hair, as if he was being asked to do something he really would rather not, he started in a mere whisper, “I can’t exactly remember how they begin, but once I become conscious of my dream and my surroundings I’m frequently flying. I have thin gossamer wings on my back. Everybody flies. It’s how we get around. The place is a tropical paradise. Multi-hued flowers bloom year round and waterfalls are everywhere.” Sighing again as he looked out onto the desert landscape just outside the window, he continued, “Imagine the most beautiful rainforest you can think of. Then multiply that thought by a thousand. The green of the trees is greener than anything I can describe; the blues, bluer, the reds, redder. Am I making any sense, Doc?”

Nodding his head, Doctor Sayer, waived his hand in a forward rolling motion and said, “Continue.”

The air conditioner hummed in a soft, monotonous, high-pitched drone. Colby found it near hypnotic as he continued without really thinking, “My life there is much different than here, Doc. I’m going nowhere fast here. I have my job, which I go to every day, sit in my cubicle and desperately hope that I can do my work without getting yelled at by my boss. When work is done, I go home, pop a frozen dinner into the microwave, vegetate for a while in front of the T.V., and then go to bed just so I can do the same thing tomorrow.”

Trying not to be intrusive, Doctor Sayer interjected, “Let’s go back to your dream, Colby. Tell me more about what it is like in the rainforest. Do you have friends? If you have a job there, what do you do? Does this tropical paradise have a name?”

“Right, right. I’m sorry Doc; I got a bit distracted there for a moment. It’s just the difference between my dreams and my existence here is so opposite that in an odd way I feel that I’m describing either place in the same sentence. One is black and the other white. My dreams are the opposite of my life. Now you really are going to think that I’m crazy, I’m important there. I’m like a…I’m a king. Ok, there you have it. Here I’m nobody, and there I’m loved and respected by everyone. The people, or creatures, or whatever that live there are my subjects. Oh, did I mention that I have a wife there. She’s gorgeous. She’s slender, with blond hair and milky, white skin. She has an ever-so-slightly high pitched voice, and when she speaks it’s as if she is singing the sweetest song you’ve ever heard.”

Colby wiped away a tear that started to form just under his eyes. He faked a cough to cover his movement as he struggled to regain his composure. “She’s a vision from heaven Doc and she loves me unconditionally. Her porcelain features give a fragile appearance and yet, she’s fiercely loyal and strong. I’ve never even had a dog that would protect me like she would. We’re madly in love with each other without a care in the world.”

“Many people would consider being a king a rather difficult job with a ton of responsibilities, Colby. Do you have any responsibilities as king, or do you see your sole reason of existence to be so others can cater to your every whim?”

“Huh, what? Responsibilities? Yes, I believe so, but really everything seems to take care of itself. People there aren’t my slaves. I’m the king, but we all live in perfect harmony. We don’t have any cares. Why should we? Everything we need is provided in the rainforest. Can you imagine Doc, no deadlines? Nobody screaming at me to reconcile their bank accounts, no one demanding that I need to find a creative way to increase bottom-line profits, no one asking me to compromise my ethics because of my profession. We sing, dance, flit here and there, no one’s worried about appeasing shareholders. The rainforest provides our food and though I’m the king, it’s almost a figurehead position. I get the chief seat at our nightly feast, that’s my job. I tell the performers and food servers what a wonderful job they do. Not too much stress there.”

Even Dr. Sayer couldn’t help but sigh in envy at the idyllic scene just described by his overly paranoid, but quite clearly healthy patient. Looking at Colby with his patented concerned, yet slight smile, he responded, “I hate to disappoint you Colby, but you sound very healthy to me. You’re not wild about your job here. You find your life to be somewhat bland. Your dreams are providing you with an outlet, an escape from the pressure and stress that you feel here. It’s all very healthy. Do you sometimes fantasize about being in your paradise even when you’re awake?”

Colby’s jaw dropped to his chest in disbelief, as he exclaimed, “Yes, I do. All of the time.” His eyes wide open in wonderment he queried, “How did you know that? You’re really good as a psychiatrist, Doc,”

Unable to contain his amusement, Doctor Sayler chortled and snorted as he replied, “Don’t be that impressed Colby. We all daydream. Me, you, and probably every person that you’ve ever come in contact with I hope spends a fair amount of time daydreaming. You see we all have our dreams. We all have our secret alter egos that can do things we as mere mortals cannot. Now if you were dressing up like the person in your dream, or if you were dancing around my office feverishly flapping your arms, screaming, ‘look at me fly, I’m flying,’ then I think that we would have issues to deal with.” The broad smile still etched on his features the psychiatrist continued, “Have you ever done any of those things, Colby?”

With a bit of dejection etched into his features, Colby responded, “No Doc, I’ve never done anything quite as crazy as that. It’s just…how do I describe it. The dreams seem so real, but that’s not all of it. I wish they were real, Doc. I really do. I wish that I could live the carefree life of my dreams.”

Almost in unison, they gazed out the window. Both seeing a heat shimmer on the skyline that made it look both liquid and otherworldly at the same time. “Yes Colby, we all feel like that sometimes.”

Just then, Colby looked back at his therapist, squinting his eyes and cocking his head to the side. The high-pitched humming sound of the air conditioner grew ever louder. For his part, Doctor Sayler just smiled as he looked back at Colby waiting to see what he would say next.

Lost in thought, all Colby could do was fixate on the sound of the air conditioner as it grew louder and louder. Hypnotic he thought again. In the middle of the high-pitched sound reverberating throughout the room he heard a crystal-clear voice calling out, calling to him, “My lord, my lord Sythyx. Wake up my beloved. The day-dawn is breaking. The night shadows are racing from the rising sun. Be up and doing my love, your people anxiously await you in the Greenwood Gardens.”

Confused, lost in a thick haze of uncertainty, Colby rubbed his eyes and slowly re-opened them.

Sythyx, High Lord of Greenwood, Kingdom of the Faeries, yawned as he pulled his hands away from his eyes and stretched his arms wide. He smiled as he saw his beloved wife, sitting at his bedside next to him; her porcelain features and striking beauty still amazed him, despite their fifty years of marriage.

Contented to see recognition in his eyes, Amerelia, Queen of the Faeries, gazed down on her husband. “Did you sleep well sweet lord? You had a fearful look of concern on your features that I did not fancy. What unspoken terrors trouble you my darling? Did you have a disturbing dream, my love?”

She stretched out her hands and took a firm hold of his. Lord Sythyx brought his hand to his chin and thought hard for just a moment before saying, “I had the strangest dream my queen. I lived in a world of constant confusion. I felt empty and lost, hollow like a seashell whose owner has long deserted it. I feared and fretted about everything. Worst part of all, I was a human, unable to hie away from the horrors that haunted me. I shared my worries with a man. He seemed quite kindly, but he too was stuck in this world without merriment and mirth.”

With a protective and loving smile, Queen Amerelia peered down on her lover and stated, “T’was but a dreadful dream my love. Banish such baneful thoughts. Let’s sing and dance and play with our people, while the morning sun shines. Your nocturnal nightmare will quickly become a distant memory and then simply disappear.”

Gazing into her penetrating blue eyes, he said, “You’re right my love. T’was naught but a nightmare.”

With that said, he sprung from his bed of leaves and flowers, and grabbing his wife’s hand, together they flew out into the new day, contented with the songs of their people greeting them as they entered their garden. Not even once, did Lord Sythyx think back on his dream ever again.

Christian One-liners

My son Colby sent this to me and I thought I should share:

Many folks want to serve God, But only as advisors.

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It is easier to preach ten sermons
Than it is to live one.

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The good Lord didn't create anything
Without a purpose, but mosquitoes come close.

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When you get to your wit's end,
You'll find God lives there.

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People are funny; they want the front
Of the bus, the middle of the road, and
The back of the church.

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Opportunity may knock once, but temptation
Bangs on your front door forever.

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Quit griping about your church;
If it was perfect, you couldn't belong.

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If the church wants a better pastor,
It only needs to pray for the one it has.

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God Himself does not propose to judge
A man until he is dead. So why should you?

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Some minds are like concrete-
Thoroughly mixed up and permanently set.

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Peace starts with a smile.

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I don't know why some people
Change churches; what difference does

It make which one you stay home from?

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A lot of church members who are singing

'Standing on the Promises'

Are just sitting on the premises.

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We were called to be witnesses,

Not lawyers or judges.

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Be ye fishers of men. You catch Them -

He'll clean them.

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Coincidence is when God

Chooses to remain anonymous.

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Don't put a question mark

Where God put a period.

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Don't wait for 6 strong men

To take you to church.

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Forbidden fruits create many jams.

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God doesn't call the qualified,

He qualifies the called.

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God loves everyone, but

probably prefers
'fruits of the spirit' over

'religious nuts!'

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God promises a safe landing,

Not a calm passage.

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He who angers you, controls you!


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If God is your Co-pilot - swap seats!



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Prayer:

Don't give God instructions --

just report for duty!

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The task ahead of us is never as
Great as the Power behind us.

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The Will of God never takes you to
Where the Grace of God will not protect you.

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We don't change the message,

The message changes us.

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You can tell how big a person is

By what it takes to discourage him.

Linking the Generations 3 Nephi 25

1 FOR behold, the day cometh that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble; and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the Lord of Hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch.
2 But unto you that fear my name, shall the Son of Righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth and grow up as calves in the stall.
3 And ye shall tread down the wicked; for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet in the day that I shall do this, saith the Lord of Hosts.
4 Remember ye the law of Moses, my servant, which I commanded unto him in Horeb for all Israel, with the statutes and judgments.
5 Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord;
6 And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.

(Book of Mormon | 3 Nephi 25:1 - 6)

A good companion scripture for verse 1 can be found in D&C 64: 23-24. It also correlates well with the last chapter speaking on tithing:

23 Behold, now it is called today until the coming of the Son of Man, and verily it is a day of sacrifice, and a day for the tithing of my people; for he that is tithed shall not be burned at his coming.
24 For after today cometh the burning—this is speaking after the manner of the Lord—for verily I say, tomorrow all the proud and they that do wickedly shall be as stubble; and I will burn them up, for I am the Lord of Hosts; and I will not spare any that remain in Babylon.

That verse speaks of the second coming of the Savior, and is why in many circles we refer to paying our tithing as “fire insurance.”

I really love those passages of scripture where the LDS church seems to have a good understanding of them, and where I can’t find another church that understands that passage. Verses 5 and 6 falls into that category. Our understanding of the passage is due to continuous revelation. These verses speak of a linking of the generations through time in one form or another. This linking is being done today through genealogy work and subsequent temple work for the deceased. I know of no other organization, religious or otherwise, that does genealogy work on the scale that we do.

We search out our ancestors, and when we find them we perform the ordinances necessary for salvation for them in our temples. One example of an ordinance that is necessary for salvation is baptism. Evidence of this can be found in the fact that Jesus himself was baptized and in verses like John 3:5, “Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.”

In 1 Corinthians 15:29 we read, “Else what shall they do which are baptized for the dead, if the dead rise not at all? why are they then baptized for the dead?” That is another passage of scripture uniquely understood by the LDS church. Paul plainly states that people are being baptized for the dead, and trying to prove that the resurrection is a reality, asks the question why do it, if they’re not going to rise again?

We link the fathers to the children and the children to their fathers by doing genealogy for our ancestors, and then performing the necessary ordinances for them, like baptism, so that our hearts are turned to each other.

Will a Man Rob God? 3 Nephi 24: 7-11

7 Even from the days of your fathers ye are gone away from mine ordinances, and have not kept them. Return unto me and I will return unto you, saith the Lord of Hosts. But ye say: Wherein shall we return?
8 Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say: Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings.
9 Ye are cursed with a curse, for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation.
10 Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in my house; and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of Hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing that there shall not be room enough to receive it.
11 And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the fields, saith the Lord of Hosts.

(Book of Mormon | 3 Nephi 24:7 - 11)

The Lord tells His people, the children of Israel that they have turned away from Him by not keeping His ordinances. He informs them that if they return to Him, He will return to them.

He tells them that they have robbed Him in tithes and offerings. The people are cursed for not following this commandment. Conversely, He tells them to repent and if they do, He will open the windows of heaven for them, that there shall not be room enough to receive the blessings that He’ll shower on them.

In Jacob we’re taught to seek first for the kingdom of God before we seek for riches. We are taught that if we seek for riches with a pure heart and a desire to use it to serve the Lord that we will receive riches. I have put these passages to the test in my life and have found that the Lord is true to His word. Do you want to make more money? Then pay an honest tithing and a generous fast offering. The Lord has blessed me when I have served Him and contributed to His work monetarily.

In the April 2007 General Conference Elder Yoshihiko Kikuchi spoke on the blessings that come from paying an honest tithe and generous offerings.

Two new temples for Arizona!

President Monson Announces Two New Temples in Arizona

SALT LAKE CITY 28 April 2008 Plans to build two new temples in Gila Valley and Gilbert, Arizona, were announced today by Thomas S. Monson, president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. This will bring the total number of temples to 139 already in operation or in the planning and construction phases.

“It is my personal priority to make sure members of the Church have access to the blessings of the temple,” said President Monson. “It is here where members learn of their divine origin and destiny, where they are strengthened spiritually as individuals and as families. Temples are sanctuaries from the storms of life.”

To members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, temples are the house of the Lord, the most sacred place on earth. Temple services bind families together forever, teach the purpose of life and explain God's plan of salvation. Temple attendance strengthens Latter-day Saints' commitment to living Christian principles, emphasizes personal spiritual growth and increases devotion to family.

There are currently two temples in Arizona: one in Mesa and another in Snowflake.

Latter-day Saint temples differ from the tens of thousands of local meetinghouses where members typically meet for Sunday worship services and midweek social activities and where visitors are always welcome. Temples are used solely for the performance of sacred ordinances and religious instruction aimed at strengthening members’ relationships with God and their fellow man. They are closed to the public after they are dedicated.

My comments:
The church is growing by leaps and bounds here. When I first moved to Chandler, AZ six years ago, I was the Elders Quorum Secretary for Jim Anderson. Neither Jim nor I have moved in that six year period. We are now in different stakes. My ward has been split, or had the boundaries changed at least three times in the last six years. It's great to see new temples being built here. I've heard unsubstantiated rumors of where the Gilbert temple might be built. If the rumors are true, it will be about five minutes from my home. I am grateful for temples and the ordinances that are performed inside them that link generations and help the Lord to accomplish His work and glory.

Colin's e-mail 5-2-08

Hey there,

Well, like always, I didn't even realize that friday had arrived again. Things in the office have been a bit more calm than before. I managed to get all caught up in my work and used my free time to try to remember my C++ class I took in high school to be able to fix up and improve the system we use to keep track of all the missionaries. Im making a little bit of progress there.

Things around the house are pretty calm too. We are helping out the new guy, Elder Spencer, so he can learn Portuguese. He just got here from Norco, CA and is struggling a little with the language like most american elders do. The poor kid has had quite the culture shock since he got here 3 weeks ago and has already seen a guy run over by a bus, been caught up in a robbery, and seen a guy shot and killed. Soon enough, he will be as desensitized and used to it as the rest of us. I like seeing the new guys come in because I find it interesting to remember what it was like in his shoes a year and a half ago.

We have found some great investigators recently that are showing some potential, including a 15 year old boy named Jadernilson who has been visiting church for a while with his RM neighbor. His mom seems to be showing some interest too. The lawyer I mentioned last week couldn't make it to church but is excited to be there this week.

Well... not much else is going on. Im sorry things are a little boring to hear about here in the Staff. like always, I'll keep looking for something good to be able to tell you next week. I love you all tons and can't wait til the 11th!

Love,
Elder Childs

PS. Send Chapstick in the next package. Im almost out. Thanks! :)